Editing DMX (section)

{{Short description|American rapper (1970–2021)}}
{{Other uses|DMX (disambiguation)}}
{{Distinguish|Davy DMX}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = DMX
| image              = DMX.rapper (cropped).jpg
| caption            = DMX in 2001
| birth_name         = Earl Simmons
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1970|12|18}}
| birth_place        = [[Mount Vernon, New York]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2021|4|9|1970|12|18}}
| death_place        = [[White Plains, New York]], U.S.
| burial_place       = [[Oakland Cemetery (Yonkers, New York)|Oakland Cemetery]], [[Yonkers, New York]], U.S.
| other_names        = {{hlist|Dark Man X|X|Divine Master of the Unknown |Dog Master X}}
| occupation         = {{hlist|Rapper|songwriter|actor|record producer}}
| years_active       = 1985–2021
| spouse             = {{marriage|Tashera Simmons|1999|2014|end=divorced}}
| children           = 15
| awards             = 
| module             = {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| embed = yes
| instrument = Vocals
| discography = [[DMX discography]]
| origin = [[Yonkers, New York]], U.S.<ref name=earl>{{Cite book |title=E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2nUFO9VOaOcC |first1=Earl |last1=Simmons |year=2003 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |page=7 |first2=Smokey D. |last2=Fontaine |author-link2=Smokey Fontaine |mode=cs2 |name-list-style=amp |isbn=978-0-06-093403-3 |access-date=October 10, 2016 |archive-date=January 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107202844/https://books.google.com/books?id=2nUFO9VOaOcC |url-status=live }}</ref>
| genre = {{hlist|[[East Coast hip-hop]]|[[horrorcore]]|[[hardcore hip-hop]]<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web|last=Huey|first=Steve|title=DMX Biography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p68246|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|date=June 12, 2007|access-date=January 7, 2024|archive-date=April 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430222949/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p68246|url-status=live}}</ref>|[[Christian hip-hop]]<ref name=pitchfork>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/how-dmx-found-god/|publisher=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|title=How DMX found God|date=April 21, 2021|access-date=September 14, 2023|archive-date=July 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728124742/https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/how-dmx-found-god/|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
| label = {{hlist|[[Rush Associated Labels|RAL]]|[[The Island Def Jam Music Group|Island Def Jam]]|[[Def Jam Recordings|Def Jam]]|[[Ruff Ryders Entertainment|Ruff Ryders]]|[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]|[[Bloodline Records|Bloodline]]|[[Cleopatra Records|Cleopatra]]<ref name="allmusic"/>}}
| past_member_of = {{hlist|[[Murder Inc. (rap group)|Murder Inc.]]|[[Ruff Ryders Entertainment|Ruff Ryders]]}}
| website = {{URL|dmx.store}}
}}
| signature          = DMX Signature.png
}}
'''Earl Simmons''' (December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021), known professionally as '''DMX''', was an American rapper and actor. The recipient of various accolades, he won an [[American Music Award]], a [[Billboard Music Award|''Billboard'' Music Award]], and was nominated for six [[Grammy Awards]]. Regarded as an influential figure in the late 1990s and one of the greats of [[Hip-hop|hip hop]],<ref name=":bey"/> his music is characterized by his "aggressive" rapping style,<ref name=":hard" /> with lyrical content varying from [[Hardcore hip-hop|hardcore]] themes to [[prayer]]s.<ref name=allmusic/><ref name=pitchfork/><!-- See Impact section --> His violent lyricism helped popularize the [[horrorcore]] genre.<ref name=":hard">{{Cite news |last=Chow |first=Andrew R. |date=April 9, 2021 |title=How DMX's It's Dark and Hell Is Hot Changed the Course of Hip-Hop Forever |work=[[Time Magazine]] |url=https://time.com/5952926/dmx-legacy-hip-hop/ |url-status=live |access-date=August 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805012735/https://time.com/5952926/dmx-legacy-hip-hop/ |archive-date=August 5, 2022}}</ref>

DMX began rapping in the early 1990s. After an unsuccessful tenure on [[Columbia Records]], he signed with [[Ruff Ryders Entertainment]] in a joint venture with [[Def Jam Recordings]] to release his debut studio album, ''[[It's Dark and Hell Is Hot]]'' (1998), which was met with critical and commercial success—selling 251,000 copies in its first week and spawning the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]-top 20 single, "[[Ruff Ryders' Anthem]]".<ref>{{cite web |first=Jason |last=Birchmeier |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/its-dark-and-hell-is-hot-mw0000034200 |title=It's Dark and Hell Is Hot – DMX |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |date=May 12, 1998 |access-date=April 10, 2021 |archive-date=February 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204033311/https://www.allmusic.com/album/its-dark-and-hell-is-hot-mw0000034200 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.liveabout.com/greatest-rappers-of-all-time-2858004 |title=50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987–2007) |newspaper=Liveabout |publisher=[[About.com]] |access-date=April 10, 2021 |archive-date=May 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531103359/https://www.liveabout.com/greatest-rappers-of-all-time-2858004 |url-status=live }}</ref> His second album, ''[[Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood]]'' (1998), was followed by his third, {{nowrap|''[[... And Then There Was X]]''}} (1999), which became his best-selling release and was supported by his second top 40 single, "[[Party Up (Up in Here)]]". His fourth album, ''[[The Great Depression (DMX album)|The Great Depression]]'' (2001), was followed by his fifth, ''[[Grand Champ]]'' (2003), which was led by the single "[[Where the Hood At?]]" and included the international bonus track "[[X Gon' Give It to Ya]]".<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 9, 2021|title=DMX, electrifying rapper who defined 2000s rap, dies at 50|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dmx-dies/|first1=Justin|last1=Carissimo|first2=Zoe Christen|last2=Jones|access-date=April 11, 2021|publisher=CBS News|archive-date=April 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415054949/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dmx-dies/|url-status=live}}</ref> DMX became the first artist to have their first five albums consecutively debut atop the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], and by his death on April 9, 2021, he had sold over 75 million records worldwide.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=June 28, 2019 |title=DMX Signs with CAA for Worldwide Representation |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8518074/dmx-signs-caa-worldwide-representation |first=Talor |last=Mims |access-date=April 12, 2021 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=April 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412163752/https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8518074/dmx-signs-caa-worldwide-representation |url-status=live }}</ref>

DMX acted in commercially successful films such as ''[[Belly (film)|Belly]]'' (1998), alongside rapper [[Nas]], ''[[Romeo Must Die]]'' (2000) and ''[[Cradle 2 the Grave]]'' (2003), alongside [[Jet Li]], and ''[[Exit Wounds]]'' (2001), alongside [[Steven Seagal]]. In 2006, he starred in the reality television series ''[[DMX: Soul of a Man]]'', which was primarily aired on the [[Black Entertainment Television (BET)|BET]] [[cable television]] network. In 2003, he published a book of his memoirs titled ''E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=What's the Word: Top 10 Rap Books |url=https://www.xxlmag.com/whats-the-word-top-10-rap-books-excerpt-from-the-dec-jan-2012-issue/ |magazine=[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]] |first1=Adam |last1=Fleischer |first2=Jesse |last2=Gissen |first3=Mark |last3=Lelinwalla |first4=Jayson |last4=Rodriguez |date=December 12, 2011 |access-date=April 10, 2021 |archive-date=April 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410043805/https://www.xxlmag.com/whats-the-word-top-10-rap-books-excerpt-from-the-dec-jan-2012-issue/ |url-status=live }}</ref>